FAQ

What kind of tattoo does Mark have and where?

Mark has a tattoo on his upper right arm of Alexander the Great. The tattoo is a profile coin and is based on Alexander’s likeness on a coin. Mark got the tattoo in 1999 to reflect his Greek heritage (his father is Greek, his mother Italian). In late 2000, the tattoo increased, in this photo you can see the flames/sun’s rays that were added around the profile of Alexander. In late 2006 he went and added additional flames or scrollwork around the prior flames.

Why is Mark called ‘The Scud’?

Mark earned the nickname ‘The Scud’ early in his career because the strongest part of his game was his serve. A Scud was a type of missile commonly used in 1991 Operation Desert Storm. While the nickname was originally intended to be a compliment toward his power, some sportswriters later used it to describe the erratic nature of that serve as Scud missiles were known for both their power and their problems in hitting a target accurately. Mark’s fastest serve on record is 142mph!.

Does he have other nicknames?

It seems that Mark is the kind of player that just cries out for sportswriters to coin nicknames for. The most common one besides ‘Scud’ is ‘Flip’ – a somewhat obvious shortening of the last name. ‘Flipper’ is most often heard on U.S. television when Patrick McEnroe is commentating (he coined it and it’s a favorite of his). In 2003 Mark also picked up ‘Poo’ or ‘The Poo’ and he’s gone on record as hoping that one dies an early death (and this webmaster agrees – *ugh* what a nickname!)

What is Mark’s best Grand Slam result?

Mark’s best appearances at a Grand Slam was two finals. The first was at the 1998 US Open when he made it to the final against defending champion Patrick Rafter. The second wasat Wimbledon in 2003 when he played Roger Federer.

Are there other Mark fan sites on the web?

There used to be quite a few Mark websites but sadly they are now gone and this site is the only one left.

Who is Mark’s coach?

Mark has had a number of coaches in his career, but he is currently working only with his father. In the past he has been coached by Gavin Hopper (who also acted as trainer), Pat Cash (6/98 – 5/00), Mike de Palmer (7/00 to 12/01), Andrew Florent (03/05 – 11/05), and Archie Adams (12/05 – 05/06) and Peter McNammaera (06/06 – 11/06). Mark has also worked with Peter previously: 01/02-03/03, and time as a teenager. Pat helped bring Mark the necessary motivation to get him to his first quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon and Mike brought in Boris Becker (Mark’s idol) to help boost him for the grass court and hard court season that year. He also worked in 2004 with John McEnroe on a part-time basis. In 2009 Mark also worked with Gil Reyes (Agassi’s longtime fitness man) on fitness. In addition throughout most of his career his father Nick has also been very active in coaching his son.

How many titles does Mark have?

Mark currently has twelve career singles titles, with the most recent being the Hall of Fame Championships in July of 2006. He also has one Hopman Cup title teamed up with Dokic, and took part in the winning Davis cup team in 1999. Mark has also been instrumental in winning the Davis Cup twice, 1999 and 2003. In both cases, it was Mark’s second match that secured the Cup for Australia. In 2003 he was crowned a hero for playing on despite a nasty shoulder injury midway through the match.

Where can find Mark’s head-to-head record against other players?

Head-to-head stats are available on this site – under the Stats section!

What player has Mark faced off against the most?

Interestingly, the player whom Mark has played the most matches against is Pete Sampras. The two have met an astonishing 12 times and given this is Sampras we’re talking about here, Mark holds a very impressive 5-7 record against him.

Has Mark ever played doubles?

Mark has indeed played doubles, and with a variety of partners and a total of six career titles. However, doubles is more of a side-line for him, a way to get in some good court time at the events. Mark’s longest partnership was with Patrick Rafter in 1997.

Where can I get Mark matches on dvd?

Unfortunately there are few commercial videos of tennis matches available. Wimbledon does offer some classic matches and Mark is shown in a few highlights but no full matches. I have a personal collection of some of his recent matches that I can copy for those interested in seeing them. Click here for the full list.